A Killing Joke
by LiebchenEngel
Summary: Amelia was a normal girl; boring even. Lived in this world where things were and always were black and white, good and bad. A meeting between her and a madman was the one thing she needed in her little world to add a splash of color, a dash of adventure and a whole bucket of insanity. He may have found his best new pet yet. (Read note in chapter one :D) -HIATUS -
1. Chapter 1

**Hey Guys!  
So thought I should leave this note here so this entire thing makes more sense.  
Penguin and Edward Nygma - based off of the TV show Gotham.  
Bruce Wayne and Gordan - based off of the Nolan Universe.  
Everyone else - Suicide Squad.  
My OC - Ashley Greene for facial references.**

* * *

A Killing Joke

 _Chapter One_

Sitting on the train watching as the rain as it hit the window in sheets against the glass I felt myself taking in a deep breathe before turning my attention back to the file in front of me. It had been nearly three years since Dr. Quinzel had been turned by the Joker and was now serving as a puppet for the government in their little squad. 'Task Force X' to be more precise, going on missions fighting the good fight against meta-humans; honestly I just thought it was a huge joke. They would find ways to escape and cause more harm than good. They where bad guys, villains it was what they do.

My brother had tried to convince me to stay in Central City rather than moving here to Gotham. Being closer to my brother was apparently not a good enough answer to that, getting a better paying job was also not. I was never really sure why he didn't want me moving here. Central City had nut jobs in tights there too, had really weird bad guys there too. This wasn't anything I wasn't prepared for.

Once I was at my stop I practically ran to the cab climbing in before announcing where it was that I was headed; the look on the man's face told me more than enough as to why where I was headed wasn't a good place. "Arkham Asylum."

"Are you sure Miss?" he almost shuddered to ask me.

"Yep; I have a lot of work to do;" I told him peering at the car's clock, "and not enough hours in the day to do it."

"You and me both Miss." he said as he took me onward to my destination.

"Name and ID badge please." One of the tall burly guards asked me upon entry, as I handed it to him I couldn't help but feeling like this place was more corrupt than the police station. Edward had always told me the station was run by liars and cheats. However like always since we were kids it was a riddle just to get that much information.

"Amelia Nygma?" the one guy questioned me, "Yes?" I responded almost too icey for my own liking.

"Nothing," he chuckled, "just know a guy down at the station with the same last name."

"Edward. That's my brother." I confirmed for him as I pushed the long chestnut brown waves from my face tucking it behind my ear unsuccessfully.

"You're free to head in, do you need a tour or an escort to your office?"

With a soft smile and a slightly dismissive wave of my hand I assured him I would be fine and would find it on my own. Which I of course eventually did, the office couldn't have been more depressing either.

Deep dark grey walls, with no windows peering into the hallway. Just the medium sized barred windows peering out into the parking lot. The table was nice enough, large brown wooden desk with more drawers than it probably needed. Filing cabinets lining the walls along with multiple book shelves. There was a small table off in the corner with a hoop embedded in the floor; probably to chain the prisoners in place while they were in sessions. There was also a couch, and a few chairs; in all the room was excessively larger than it needed to be.

I was under the impression interviews and talks to patients would be inside a monitored room not a room with no cameras and no safety for me. This was probably exactly how Dr. Quinzel was turned, because the lack of security.

I heard the door open and watched as the warden walked in, just as I had taken a seat at the desk and placed the files down. "Warden; I was just about to leave to come speak with you. Thank you for the job offer-" I had started before he cut me short.

"Miss. Nygma we here at Arkham couldn't be more enthused to have a young and talented shrink as yourself come aboard. We heard all about the great progress you were making in Central City we just had to have you. Gotham just can't seem to get a tight handle on its… less civil citizens." He said clearly choosing his words carefully.

"The pleasure is mine Sir, it brings me closer to my brother Edwards as well so the move was indeed a perfect one." I told him as he nodded, he could have cared less about that. They were a few shrinks down be it because the Joker or someone else killed them, or they left because the job was to intense. I heard the rumors, and being here and seeing how dark and dismal the place was. I believed them.

"Well, I just wanted to welcome you to the Arkham team. You have a lot of work to do so, need anything my door is always open." He told me as I nodded watching him leave. I didn't really believe his door was open or that he would really want anyone going to him for assistance but the thought was at least pleasant. This place was already making me negative; explains a lot about the Doctors that had left.

In Central City, I felt a sense of pride when helping my patients and even just being at work. I could already tell that this was going to be very different. I just couldn't let it get to me; had to stay focused. Regardless of their crimes they still needed help, and that was my job.

Flipping open the first file, I saw just exactly what it was I was dealing with. "Former Doctor Jonathan Crane. AKA Scarecrow. Was once a brilliant psychologist who specialized in phobias and fears. Great." I breathed out, a patient that will psychoanalyze me.

Closing the file I open the next one hoping, for some a bit more normal. "Victor Zsasz. Serial killer, mercenary, hired….wow." I sighed again, at least he didn't have some weird nickname like 'Scarecrow'. I kind of lost my faith in normal patients after I opened the third file.

"Harvey Dent - AKA Two-Face. Former District Attorney turned criminal mastermind." That was two people in professional fields that had turned into villains here in Gotham. I skimmed over the other few names in my files; Doctor Jervis Tetch AKA The Mad-Hatter, Doctor Pamela Isley AKA Poison Ivy, Hugo Strange, Floyd Lawton AKA Deadshot and George Harkness AKA Captain Boomarang

So far they had assigned me eight patients; two of which were currently serving time in Task Force X. When they weren't on missions they would be here and would have to talk to me. Mandatory for being in the Asylum. Harkness wasn't even admitted here, it was just apparently easier for them to watch him and harder for him to get alcohol snuck into his cell.

Closing Hakrness's file I sat there just staring at the desk; where would I even start? I picked up the phone and page the button to call out to the holding guards. "Miss Nygma?" I heard through the phone, "Yes, could you have someone bring Doctor Crane up to my office. I need to begin getting each of my patients with their new Doctor." I explained to him.

"Of course; he will be in your office in under ten minutes." He informed me as I just nodded to myself before hang up the phone. Under ten, that gave me just enough time to put a few of the things I had brought with me from my other office around here too I guess add some form of personality to this insultingly boring room.

Ten minutes seemed to fly by as I only really got a few small pieces of art up on the wall and put some small pictures of my family on my desk and a few of the cabinets. I turned around to see a man in a standing there his wrists and legs all cuffed up along one chain with two guards on either side of him. He was in the typical bright orange jumpsuit. "Scarecrow is here, want us to lock him in." The one guard nodded towards the table.

"When I'm around he is address as Jonathan Crane, and yes lock him in. That'll be all stay posted outside my door unless, I inform you otherwise." I told them as the two men nodded, locking his chain into the hoop before leaving the room. I picked up Doctor Cranes file making my way over to the table where the silent man sat watching my every move.

"Jonathan; I am Doctor Nygma. I brought you in here today to sort of get to know you see where you are currently at in your rehabilitation." I told him as I sat down in front of him the file out of his reach.

"I am still a Doctor." he told me his voice cool and emotionless. "Doctor Crane. I apologize." I told him. He seemed to smirk at my instant motion to treat him more as an equal.

"Well Miss Nygma," He started to say, degrading my title slightly. "We both know if the warden has his way, this is my home until I die. So checking where I stand in my progress is a bit of an overkill. There is nothing mentally wrong with me; being insane doesn't necessarily make you a mental patient does it?" That was a bit of a contradiction really.

"Well, I believe you're here not just because of your instability but more so because escaping a prison is easier than the asylum. Why don't you tell me how Doctor Crane became the Scarecrow?" I asked him as he smiled.

"Escaping Arkham Prison is much easier, I've done it twice." He told me with a cheesy grin.

"Doctor; you were never in Arkham Prison. Why don't you just assume I know everything and you are just simply retelling it to me." I told him with a half smile. I really did hate when patients lied to me as if they thought their file was filled with lies or empty before me and I was simply just going to take their word for it.

"Caught me. I like a doctor that actually cares enough to read my file." He grinned.

"Doctor, how did you get to this point?" I had asked him as he quickly started up into the tale of how he became one of Gotham's ruthless. The next four hours where the same thing; Doctor Tetch, Doctor Isley, Mr Strange, and Mr Dent. seemly all had no issues telling me their life stories, why they turned to evil which I assumed was a lie on at least that however it wasn't in their file so unfortunately I did have to take their word for it.

"Victor Zsasz is here Doctor Nygma." I heard the man's voice from the door as my third last patient of the day was then locked in place before me

"Mmmm deep brown eyes, hair to match. Perfection except your far to fit for my tastes." The man's words came up much sicker than I was sure they were supposed to sound.

"Victor Zsasz; I am-" I was about to continue speaking when he interrupted me.

"Amelia Mikela Nygma. Changed to Nygma from Nashton after you and your Brother Edward escaped the cruelty of your parents when he turned eighteen and you were just 15. Both legally emancipate yourselves from your parents. The name change was in the hopes they would never find you but they in fact have followed both of their children's success, they have a shrine up for each of your in your old rooms. You had been living in Central City for the past four years working there helping the criminally insane and on the side helping at risk teens change their risky paths. You dated a Barry Allen for a year before things became too intense for you; he wanted to go further you afraid of being in a relationship ended things. Shame I heard he is a really special guy. That was the real intention for switching from Central City to Gotham not just to be closer to your brother or a better job. Which you lied to Edward about, he knows why you really moved. You have four tattoos, and a pet cat named Dobby after your love for Harry Potter, cute interest.-" I cut him off once he was getting too into my life.

"How do you know… any of that?" I asked my voice coming out more scared than I had intended.

"Well Miss Nashton; I would say I am excellent at reading people, however I am a contract killer… It was at one point my job to learn about those my employer wanted dead. I was informed my Doctor was no longer working here and I would be getting a new one. I needed to know that you would actually do your job rather than trying to prescribe me drugs I don't need. There is nothing mentally wrong with me, you can surely see that."

"It's not my job to drug you up Victor, It's my job to rehabilitate you so hopefully they will allow you to leave."

"So young… so naive. I've missed that in a Doctor, however I do respect that you are honest with me Miss Nashton. I have to admit, knowing you are one of the honest ones I will do my best in keeping myself honest with you. In that; you should leave Gotham and never return. More importantly; you should leave Arkham… there are things here Miss Nasthon. Things you don't want knowing what I know about you… they won't be as kind as I am."

I could hear myself choking down my saliva as I swallowed; as insanely creepy as he was for knowing anything about me he wasn't lying about being honest which only made me wonder what or who he was talking about. Once Zsasz had told me a bit about himself on the promise I wouldn't record or write any of it down. I had him brought back to his cell, unfortunately for me Floyd Lawton was away on one of the missions with the Suicide Squad which left me with my last introduction of the day.

"Oi! Bugga get yer 'ands off me 'eh?" I heard a man basically yell as he was pushed into my door. I spun around from my desk to watch as my last; guest of the day helped himself off the floor. He had no chains, why was he unchained?

"George Harkness?" I questioned as I walked towards him motioning for him to take a seat on one of the couches. "Well, well. Didn't think 'old Saint Nick was 'ivin' me a gift this early." He grinned before sitting across from me.

"George; this is mandatory and I would appreciate it if you could on at least some level behave?" I questioned him.

"I guess I can do that." His accent was so thick I could hardly figure out what he was saying, he was a rather buff guy, and he smelt like a liquor store which was really confusing since he was placed here to stop him from drinking. "I 'aven't been called George since I was a kid, me mum called me that. Call me Digga." He said as he leaned in way to close for comfort reading my name tag. "Miss Nygma."

"How has being on the Squad helped, do you think after a few missions you'll actually engage in rehabilitation so you can work on leaving this place?" I asked him.

"Well, I do 'ave five life sentences so I doubt I 'ould be leaving any time soon. Why fancy getting din-dins with me love?" He asked as I shut my eyes rolling them while shaking my head. "George." I commented.

"Nu-huh, Digga." He corrected me.

"Digger." I corrected myself; "Why a life of crime? I read about your life growing up, I was horrible but you could have made something out of it, why crime?" I asked him, just like I had done with everyone else. Expecting to get the same generic response that everyone else save for Doctor Crane, Doctor Isley and Victor Zsasz had given me.

"Why not, 'eh? It's fun, I was tired of being ridiculed and tormented by people, yea? Though why not use these skills for my own gain, never be made fun of again. The bank robbin' was the easy bit, always get some'ne else to do it for you, yea? Than that stupid speedy fella caught me. Still, it was fun. I 'ain't leaving here, love. I would never change my lifestyle."

"Never?" I asked him, I had to admit hearing him tell me about how he had turned to it because he was sick of being tormented and made fun of his whole life did make me feel horrible for him. Bullying was always the main result for why they became who they were. Like with Dent, the death of Rachel and the pressure in the D.A.'s office sent him reeling downhill.

I couldn't let myself feel sorry for them, they were here because they are criminals. Harkness was right; none of them were getting out of here. My job is technically only even here so they have someone to talk to; I knew Arkham never had an interest in releasing any one from here. However they couldn't just lock these people up and the only human contact was a food tray through the door, or the hopes they are tasked for a mission with the Suicide Squad. The psych's are only here to give them a person to communicate with once or twice a week, as many times as they asked really. Twice was mandatory anything more than that was at the patient's request. Much like it was back in Central City.

Once I had let them remove George from my office I had began to file all the work into different cabinets knowing by the end of the year they would all probably need a drawer each to themselves. That and who knew how many other patients I would be assigned with the lack of staff they had here. I locked up my office and slowly made my way to the checkout point and than to my brother who was waiting outside by his car.

I picked up my pace and ran towards Edward as he engulfed me into a hug. "You are my sister, but I am not your sister. Who am I?" He asked once we pulled apart from the hug.

"My brother." I grinned, I feel like I was one of the only people in the world who could tolerate Edwards insatiable love for riddles. He had been like that since we were kids, always loved riddles. I remember our parents hating it; they had always felt there was something wrong with him. I didn't I found it quirky and sure maybe sometimes mildly annoying but we tolerate weird things for the people we love. "I thought of a few more for you today." He smiled at me as he opened the car door for me and closing it behind me. I watched as he rushed around the car and got in ready to tell me another riddle.

"I remembered it from when you were a kid." He told me, I could feel myself grinning. "Let's see how well I remember it." I told him as he had begun driving me home to my new apartment. Much to his protests of moving in with him, I instead moved into a building a few blocks away.

"I'm teary-eyed but never cry. Silver-tongued, but never lie. Double-winged, but never fly.  
Air-cooled, but never dry. What am I?" He asked me practically jumping around in his seat with excitement.

I remember him telling me this one; oddly enough he had told me at the time how proud he was of me for knowing the answer to such a hard riddle at such a young age. I just couldn't remember the answer. "Teary-eyed, silver-tongued, double-winged, and air-cooled?" I repeated out loud to myself trying to remember the answer.

I could see Edward tapping his thumbs on the wheel with anticipation, he must have thought I was stalling for fun. He had no idea I was having trouble with remembering the answer; which was when it hit me in the face. "Mercury. The element looks shiny, silver, and is wet. The god Mercury has two wings but only uses them to run." I told him smiling that I remembered.

"Of course! I'm glad you remembered. How was your first day at Arkham?" He asked me.

"Interesting, I feel like I'll never be able to help them but at least I'm there for them right?"

"I have no doubt you will help them become better people, helping them turn away from crime however is their choice not yours." He told me.

"True. One of them knew basically everything about me it was…" I paused looking for the word.

"Fun, that sounds like great fun. Imagine how personal you can be…" He said grinning, only Edward would find something like that intriguing and entertaining. I just smiled as he kept driving; "You're probably right, he was the most honest with me besides this weird Australian one."

"Captain Boomerang is your patient? That's interesting, you should talk to him about his love for ponies and pink, or just wear something with pink in it. Bet he will open up like a clam." He chuckled.

"He was hitting on me Eddy." I laughed softly.

I could see from the way I was looking at Ed that his entire demeanor changed from bubbly to dark and almost sinister. "Request not to be his Doctor." He said as his voice even grew incredibly dark.

"Eddy; it's fine. He's got chains on him, he's locked in place and there are two guards in the room when he's there." I lied.

He switched back to my normal bubbly and joyful brother almost instantly. "Oh in that case it's fine, just don't entice him like I had first suggested." He smiled, smiled and yet his eyes were still so dark to me.

"Would you like to accompany me to dinner tonight or are you tired from work?" He asked me as he slowly looked over at me, once we had stopped at a red light.

"Of course I'm not tired, where did you want to get food?" I asked him, "There is a diner not too far from the Station, I think you would like it. It is cozy and intimate just like the one down the street from school. Remember?"

"Of course I do. When mom and dad would fight you would take me there for dinner all the time. Your memory Eddy is amazing, take me home so I can get changed first?" I asked him as he nodded.

"Might I suggest, that black shirt with your light blue blazer?" He offered as I smiled. That with my black skinny jeans was exactly what I was wearing when he had picked me up from the train station when I moved back to Gotham. It was probably a memory thing for him if he was suggesting it.

"Of course, nice choice!" I grinned as we pulled up to the apartment. "Do you want to come up and wait?" I asked him. He just shook his head, "I will wait here, you will only take less than fifteen minutes to get there and back." He told me as I shook my head chuckling before I made my way up to my apartment to change.

* * *

"See small and intimate." He told me once we had sat down in the small diner, he wasn't wrong it was almost exactly like the place near our home growing up. "This place is really nice Eddy, how did you find it?" I asked him.

"There was a guy a while back that the crime bosses thought they killed he took it over. I'm surprised he isn't in jail. He is one of their best informants really. He walks funny, however he is really nice. I consider him a friend, he enjoys my riddles just like you do." He told me as I nodded.

I deal with the criminally insane all day, he works in a lab… of course he would befriend a potential criminal. "Really what's his name?" I asked as a rather skinny man approached us with a slight wobble or was it a hobble… in his walk. "Oswald Cobblepott. Pleasure to make your acquaintance you must me Edward's sister, he talks about you all the time." The man told me as I just nodded smiling. He - well, he creeped me out to say the least.

"Only nice things of course, I would never talk down to or about my sister." Edward informed me with a smile. "I would never have assumed you would." I nodded; this was going to be a fairly interesting dinner.


	2. Chapter 2

**A Killing Joke**

 _Chapter Two  
_

* * *

I couldn't help but enjoy myself while eating dinner with Eddy and his seemly alright friend Oswald. I guess with my line of work it was just so natural to think anyone different was bad news. Oswald was telling me stories about how he had met my brother one time at the police station; about how Commissioner Gordon had at one point pretended to kill him.

Which seem fabricated at first listen until Edward corroborated every single one of these stories. "And there's a masked man running around dressed like a giant bat?" I asked as they had continued with the stories.

"Yes, indeed Miss Amelia. There are quite the amount of costumed bandits in this City." Oswald explained to me, I couldn't help but notice how unhealthy and white his skin seemed to look but I chalked it up to him being from some other country or maybe some sort of disorder.

"Just like Superman over in Metropolis and the Flash over in Central City. It is really crazy to me that we're locking up people like Doctor Crane and Doctor Isley but they let these other people just roam free under the impression they're the good guys." I half snorted out, I hated to admit it however the Flash on many occasions came to my rescue.

"What about you Miss Amelia? Why the move from Central City, surely the Flash wasn't nearly as pesky or annoying as the Batman is." Oswald commented the annoyance dripping in his voice.

"The job, Edward here and well my boyfriend Barry and I broke up… it sucked but it had to happen we just both wanted very different things." I commented.

Zsasz wasn't wrong as special and great as Barry was I just really wasn't ready for the kinds of commitments he was wanting from me. That and competing with Iris all the time for his attention was one of the more awful experiences I'd had with the whole thing. Iris texts or calls, post a picture or video; Barry had to support it, like it, comment or answer… but with me. He was overly selective, yet he wanted to go further. Probably was unaware of what those actions really said to me.

"Barry? I - I was unaware you were seeing someone." Edward had said his voice hinting and pining at how hurt he was from being kept out of that, was best to avoid telling him how long the relationship was kept a secret.

"Barry Allen, he worked at the Police Station. We had met over one of my patients being a suspect in a crime… it wasn't a very long relationship Edward didn't seem notable to even mention to you. You know how I only like telling you about important things." I told him watching as he sat up happily, he liked knowing that anything I did tell him was only something of value if he was being informed.

Sadly, Barry was very important to me. I knew how Edward would have reacted had they ever met. They have basically the same job it would have been a competition always. I couldn't have that, why was I even still hooked on Barry that ended nearly five months ago.

"Well I best be closing up shop, it was the utmost pleasure meeting you Miss Amelia. Edward I will see you tomorrow I presume?" He asked Eddy as my brother just smiled nodding. I had to admit; Edward kept his riddles to a bare minimum over dinner, that was highly unlike him.

"I'll drive you home, it would be the best you invest in a car sooner rather than later. I would prefer it if you didn't take the train to work." Edward told me sternly as we reentered his car so that he could begin to drive me home from the restaurant.

"I will Eddy, just wanted to get home settled first. I'm off tomorrow relatively early, only have three appointments tomorrow which means car shopping right after."

"You must bring it by so I can make sure you got the safest model." He told me as I grinned, "Oh course Edward." I told him happily.

* * *

I sat there in my office the next day after having ordered the room to be painted a soft off cream color. Seemed more calming than prison cell grey, I had carpet placed in the room and asked for more comfortable seating at the table and the couches. They all knew they would never leave this place there was absolutely no reason as to why they shouldn't be comfortable for the hour or so they got to be out of their cells.

Probably why I had them install a small snack bar which was to be restocked throughout the day with fresh sandwiches and other easily made snacks. I knew the kitchen here had the ability to make decent food so why not put them to work.

I was sitting at my desk looking through the files I had begun sorting through the three that I was supposed to be seeing today, Floyd Lawton, Victor Zsasz and Harvey Dent were all scheduled for visits today. Hugo Strange was released from my custody along with Doctor Tetch and Doctor Isley who all got assigned to the new Psych who arrived this morning. Apparently I had too much on my plate with the ones they were leaving with me.

I lifted up the phone to speak to the holdings guard. "Can you have someone bring Floyd Lawton up into my office? He has an appointment with me today in about twenty minutes." I requested hearing the same response I was going to get everyday for the rest of my term here before we both hung up our phones.

I knew Floyd had a daughter and that she was a touchy subject for him, I knew he was allowed a single hour long visit with her after every mission he completed successfully and only if completed without incidents. Which from what I heard with Harleen around and the Joker on the loose was a rare thing for him. I would have to be sure to try and schedule her to have a visit while or after his visits with me were done.

The knock came on my door not to long after; the guards leading him in with cuffs on his hands but not his legs. "Wait outside the door please." I requested to the men as Floyd walked further into my office taking a seat on the couch after I had motioned for him to sit there from my desk.

"Mr. Lawton." I greeted him once I had finally sat across from him with a small notebook now placed on my lap and his file on the other side of me. "My name is Doctor Nygma, I do hope eventually those won't be necessary during your visits here with me." I said motioning towards his cuffs.

"That would be most ideal Miss Nygma. Your office is a lot nicer than the other doctors up in here." He commented.

"Well I figured you all have to stay down in those awful looking cells all day for as long as you're stuck here. Why not give you somewhere to look forward to seeing if even just for an hour. Are you hungry, thirsty?" I questioned as he smirked and nodded.

"Turkey or Roast beef, and your choice of drink." I commented.

"Roast beef, please and water is fine… you'll feed us too?" He nearly coughed out.

"Like I said, comfort." I told him as I brought him over the sandwich and bottled water. "I do want to talk to you about some things, I know they will be rather touchy so if you wish to avoid them until you are ready tell me." I told him as he nodded taking a long chug of water.

"My little girl." He commented.

"I want to help you as best as I can with watching her grow up and seeing her. A young girl should never be forced to grow up without a father who would do anything for her...if you're willing to talk to me and try to sort through what it is that has brought you to a life a crime or even just waste the hour a week you have with me… I can arrange to have her here for when our talks are done. You can spend an hour with her even two while I work through my files before my next meeting."

"Why would you do that for me?" He asked me his voice filled with skepticism.

"Because Mr. Lawton, I read your file and you aren't a bad man, nor are you a bad father. I grew up around badmen and had a bad father… I don't believe just because you're a criminal you shouldn't be denied the right to be treated like a human."

"Floyd." He told me with an assertive smile, "My friends, they call me Floyd." He told me as I smiled back.

"Amelia." I smiled back to him.

Throughout my meeting with Floyd, I got to know a side to him I wasn't sure anyone beyond his group of friends really got to see. He was a fairly caring man regardless of what his life choices said about him, he was smart and charming. Loved his daughter more than anything by the sounds of it. Which was when I told him if he had a particularly hard or trying mission he was allowed to request a meeting and I would to my best to get Zoe out here for him to see. I think he would be the only patient I was going to make any progress with. Which really did make me sad.

Dent had apparently tried to kill a guard over night which meant he was locked in solitary confinement for a few weeks, Zsasz had requested to change his appointment to later in the week. Apparently he wasn't ready to speak to me. Which really meant I had come in to make Floyd's day and leave… which really wasn't a terrible sounding day.

I had started to pack my bags to head back into Gotham to go take a look at some cars, when the door to my office was opened. "George requested a meeting with you last minute he didn't know you were in the office." the guard told me as I just nodded motioning for them to bring him into the office while I went and got his file and a new notebook for him.

I looked over at him as he seemed to be making himself extremely comfortable on the couch as I just shook my head sitting down across from him. "Digger, you requested a meeting?" I questioned him, watching as his eyes seemed to almost soak up every single inch of my body.

"Aye yea, I did." He winked. "I like what ye' did to the place." He remarked.

Why did he feel the need, the be so difficult with me? "Digger?" I questioned him. "What did you want to talk about."

"Us, our undeniably chemistry we have goin' on 'ere, love." He told me.

"You cannot be serious." I said shutting my note pad. "Digger you can't request a meeting with me if you are just going to sit there and hit on me. It's not appropriate."

"I think ya' skirt being above the knees is a bit inappropriate for the job 'nah?"

"It's below my knees George, it's the way I'm sitting."

"I got to say love, 'ya sendin' me all kinds of mixed messages."

I rolled my eyes, "I got an' idea. 'Ow' abouts we make a deal, yea?" He stated as I crossed my arms over my chest visibly unimpressed by him.  
"I will answer any an' all of your questions, but you 'ave to make an effort to open up to me ya?"

His accent was so thick, I felt like an interpreter may help me. However, he never said I had to be honest with him. How would he know anything I was saying to him was a straight out lie? "Fine, but it stays appropriate Digger."

"Aw, common love, you sayin' had we met anywhere but here you would't be the slightest bit interested...in this." I had to stifle a laugh.

"Maybe if you showered, shaved and took better care of yourself. Digger, I would never date you."

"Why not eh?"

"I don't date patients and I don't date criminals."

"Ah, me bein' a criminal shouldn't bother you love, I'm much more than meets the eye, yea?"

"You're a transformer and turn from a man into a robot?" I questioned.

"Think 'yea funny?" He laughed. "Nah, I like a lot of things that shrinks think ar' out of character for me."

"Like what?"

"Well 'for starters I like ponies. I had one but I lost it, pinky. I also like the color pink, and energy drinks, beer leaves a sour taste in me mouth."

"Really? A bronie… you're trying to tell me you like my little pony?" I asked him.

"No, lord no love. Ponies, the small horses. Pinky was pink because she was the only thing me mum gave me." That wasn't something I was prepared to hear him say.

"Where did you lose her?"

"On my first mission, with the squad yea? Stupid thing got burnt up in a fire." He told me, I thought about it.

"It you start taking care of yourself, better… I can try and find you a new one, if you miss her."

He laughed, "Love, if smelling like flowers and trimmin' me' beard gets me more time with you, I'll do it."

I just shook my head before I had him removed from my office to go home. On my way out I left a note with one of the guards to bring George to the showers twice a day and supply him with toothpaste, and to trim his beard. He was my patient and as annoying as he was proving to be it was my job to take care of him.

* * *

I felt like I had been staring at the same five cars in this lot; why couldn't they just have something simple, useful and safe to please Edward. I just continued browsing the lots when I noticed a tall man in a suit with slicked back hair talking to the dealer while standing next to an Aston Martin Vanquish.

If only.

I walked towards the dealer that was just bit further away from the two men to tell him I had made up my mind, "I think I picked a car." I told him.

"Excellent Miss Nygma, which did you decide on today?" He asked me as I felt the eyes of the man and the other dealer burn into the back of my head.

"The deep red Altima, 2016 model preferably." I told him as he told me he was going to go grab the keys and set up the paperwork for me, which really only meant me signing on a dotted line. I filled out everything else before I even started to look.

"Safe car." I heard the man say from behind me.

"Couldn't afford the Tesla Roadster over there, I think I settled." I commented making a joke, or well more likely a stab at his clear ability to buy whatever he wanted.

"That is a beautiful car too; however on these streets it would be stolen in under ten minutes being left unattended." He informed me, "You made a great choice Miss Nygma."

I couldn't help but smile; "Amelia." I told him as he made his way over to me. "Bruce."

"What brings you here today Bruce?" I asked, "Obviously not to buy a new car." I teased.

"I often enough get bored, so I like to test out the latest models. When you're done signing all your paperwork maybe you'll join me?" He offered.

Something told me this guy probably wouldn't even take no as an answer had it been given. "As intriguing as that sounds, I have to go meet with my brother for dinner. Rain check?" I offered. He just smiled at me nodding to me as he handed me a card.

"I look forward to hearing from you, Amelia." He said as he made his way back to the other dealer.

Bruce Wayne. No way was that the luck I was having right now.

"Alright Miss Nygma if you wouldn't mind following me inside everything is set up and ready for you to sign while they bring you a car around!" The man said excitedly pulling me from my trance as I pushed the card Bruce handed me into my wallet. "Amazing." I told him as I followed him towards his office.

* * *

"This is a good car. The safety ratings are very high I think you made a perfect choice." Eddy told me with one of his signature grins.

"Yea almost walked out of there with a date too." I told him as I slowly looked over to him as we left my car to head into the restaurant for dinner.

"Oh really, did you…" He started to say before pausing. "I am something quiet. I can be happiness, sadness or fear. I can show or just be gone, but I'll come back not before too long…" He riddled me as I laughed softly.

"Feelings. No, I just met him Eddy and I am not ready for feelings or having them or men." I sighed as we sat down at a table.

"No, not yet but they always happen." He sighed.

"What about dinner what would you like?" I asked him as he smirked, "Who was this fellow?" He asked me ignoring my comment regarding dinner.

"It's not important Edward." I told him.

"What is yours but used more by everyone else?" Edward asked me rather annoyed.

"His name was Bruce Wayne." I told him, "Bruce Wayne? The Wayne family used to own this City." He told me.

"Yea well that's nice for him. Can we eat?"

"Are you going to go see him?" He asked me. "No probably not Eddy." I sighed.

"Alright." He shrugged off with a smile before raising his hand to get the attention of the waitress. "He is a player anyway it's best you left him alone." He told me his voice growing cold.

"That was always the plan Edward." I nearly snapped back.

"I was just protecting you…"


	3. Chapter 3

**A Killing Joke**

Chapter Three

* * *

It had been a few days since I blew up at Eddy at the restaurant and he hadn't exactly been returning my texts or calls which I had to admit bothered me. I apologised to him after I had lashed out but he had to have realised that I was no longer a little girl. He knew me, I didn't like those dark brooding men. He knew I liked interesting, fun and well out there people. Even my friends were pretty oddball people. Barry had introduced me to a bunch of people just like that and we all got along very well together. Eddy had to have known I would never have called Bruce, sure I liked the attention but I didn't like knowing that was probably how he got all of his dates.

Really no one hands out cards to prospective dating candidates that's just weird. I sat at my desk trying to figure out what to do next. I really didn't feel like sitting at home all night, but I also didn't feel like wandering around Gotham alone. It wasn't as bright and happy around here like it was in Central City; however wandering around Central City I always managed to bump into Barry. Which always struck me as odd since he didn't have a car and usually always stuck to the few places close to his apartment.

I let out another deep sigh just writing down some notes on my last session that was with Harvey Dent. He really wasn't interested in talking to me about what had happened with Rachel Dawes, or his life before the accident. All he seemed to want to do is talk to me about his hatred towards Batman and how much he wanted to kill him. Which yes sure that was progress in some ways, but it wasn't what I felt like he should have been dwelling on. He was never going to change if all he was doing was hating a masked vigilante.

I had hoped to speak to Zsasz today as well however he told the guards again that he just wasn't ready for me yet which was really only making me anxious. What was he up to; I had heard the stories and read the articles. I even talked to Edward about him and he was mad, the man did have some pretty wild things going on in his head. So it often drew the question as to what he could possibly be working up with me.

I had seen Floyd twice this week out of schedule let him see his little girl, watched as he helped her with her homework and deal with bullies in school. He really was a pretty admirable guy, he was an excellent father. I really did wish there was something that I could do to help him get out of his sentencing faster; however he and I both knew that was likely never going to be an option. Not in the way Gotham Cities systems worked at least.

Doctor Crane had been in here for a session before Harvey had been in; no matter how hard I tried with that man he just wanted to analyze me. Wanted to know what made me tick, what scared me what made me nervous. He said I acted like I was perfect, like nothing phased me when in reality I was far from perfect. I was just like every other girl out there; I hated spiders, centipedes and the thought of a bee stinging me made me run around like a mad woman whenever one was near me. Yet seeing the lack of sun that seemed to find its way into the City almost made me wonder if I would welcome the sight of a bee flying around my head. Probably not.

The last thing on my mind was telling Doctor Crane my fears and anxieties, had he ever escaped again surely he would go after his own Doctor just to mess with me. Something he had apparently done to Rachel Dawes years ago when he had tried to spread fear through Gotham. Not that she was a Doctor, no she worked in the district attorney's office… with Harvey Dent. Everyone here really did seem incredibly connected to one another.

I sighed looking at my notepad next to my office phone, George Harkness was my next patient to come in. I hadn't seen him since he had sat there hitting me, and I had ordered for him to start being brought to the showers more often. Now that I look back on it that was really kind of rude, and implied probably to him that had he started cleaning himself more I would be interested. What an awful message to send out to a criminal. I finished up my last few notes on my meeting with Harvey before calling down to the guard to bring up Harkness.

Being much more organized this time than I had been since I started I already had a bottle of water and some form of meal placed on the coffee table in front of the couch waiting for him as I was already sitting down on the opposing couch with my notepad waiting for him. Once he entered my office I watched him as he strutted towards the couch, the desire to laugh was becoming incredibly strong. His beard looked trimmed, and he didn't really look like he had been sleeping in mud so those were good signs that he took my suggestions to heart.

"Welcome back Digger." I smirked.

"Notice anythin' different, love? All washed up for ye' just like yea asked." He exclaimed as I just nodded.

"Wonderful, you've mastered basic human hygiene." I teased him.

"Even brushed me teeth." He told me with a grin, "Food and water for you." I motioned towards the table.

"Ah amazing love. Good woman always knows her way to a man's heart is his stomach." I just shook my head again.

"Ready to talk?" I asked him as he finally sat down, "Aye." He seemed to shrug.

"Last week you told me how you turned to this because of all the teasing, wasn't your mother ever around?" I asked him he almost choked on his food. "Getting straight to the hard stuff eh love?" He winked. What a pervert.

"Well me mum was around yea' but I ne'er really had a pa figure. Worked in the circus for a but, jugglin' and using boomerangs ye'? Me ma encouraged me with my crime, guess she ne'er thought it would get this far." He told me, I was still skeptical on the facts he was giving me yet, my job wasn't really to deal in facts it was to get them talking.

Yet, that never really seemed to keep my mind hungry I needed to know everything. Needed the truth. "Was she really accepting of you being a criminal or did she just not want to talk about it with you?" I asked him.

"Well I was paying all her bills with the money I was stealing so, Ye' probably just didn't want to ask." He told me.

"I 'aven't seen me mum since I became one of 'stralia's most wanted jewel thieves. I do miss her, yet I went to her to hide and she kicked me out."

"Because you're a criminal?" I asked him as he just seemed to nod.

"What about you love? Do you see your mum and pa?" He asked me, I had almost completely forgot I told him I was willing to make this a conversation not just a therapy session.

"I haven't seen them since I was fifteen. My older brother and I were emancipated." I confessed to him. "Emansi...what?" He laughed at me.

"Emancipated we petitioned the government to be removed from the control and guardianship of our parents. My brother raised me until I was old enough to go to college." I explained.

"Higher education yea? I never even bother to dream of such a thing." He told me.

"You know you can take courses while you in Arkham right?" I told him. "Yea I know but what's the point I ain't ever leaving Arkham." He laughed. "Amanda Waller will see to that."

Amanda Waller? Was that who was running Task Force X? I have never heard anything good about that woman. Barry had mentioned her coming into the station once to talk to him about something he never really divulged into it, he did however mention that she was pushy and really not that good of a person. What did she want with people like the Floyd Lawton, Doctor June Moone, Harleen Quinzel, Chato Santana,Waylan Jones and George Harkness? Honestly though the whole thing seemed very off.

"Why will she see to that?" I asked him curiously.

"She wants us to fight against other bad guys yea? Hunt down whateva' meta humans are either kill them or bring them in. Stupid really." He told me.

"Meta-Humans?" I questioned him.

"Yea, when the Squad was first formed, we had this girl who turned into a witch, and a guy who was basically a giant fire. They're both dead or well he is...I don't know what happened to the creepy witch girl."

I had completely forgot Enchantress was a witch and El Diablo was a flame demi god. It had to have been in my files somewhere. Must have read over it or something. "Oh of course." I said brushing it off as if it were nothing.

"Why do you do this job anyway, it can't be as fulfilling as you act like it is. You know we're all lost causes." He shot at me.

"It's not that you're lost causes, because you aren't. If Gotham's system worked anything like Central Cities or even Metropolis you would all be reintegrated into society once it's been determined that you're fit to rejoin. Gotham will just simply never let you leave its jails or even Arkham which really only makes you all more angry and hate the city and it's people even more. Gotham has a hierarchy. The poor and the criminals mean less than nothing therefore they are treated as such…" I explained watching him as he nodded.

"I do this job because for at least an hour a day you aren't stuffed in your cell rotting away, at least in my office I'll treat you like a human being and talk to you as such. Doesn't hurt to try and make your stay more comfortable." He just laughed.

"Me last shrink didn't care this much about his patients, hell he would bring us in for maybe twenty minutes sometimes not at all and just say he did." He informed me as I just shook my head.

"That I believe, which is really unfortunate for all of you. You may have either chosen a life of crime or are mentally insane… but you are still people."

"Such a passionate lady there love. Like a passionate woman." He winked at me.

I ignored his flirtations for the remainder of the session and had gone back to my desk finishing up my notes. I couldn't have been more excited to leave Arkham to go back home to my cat, kick my feet up and relax for the next day. I was on a no call in note for my days off, I wasn't going to let this job become my life. I couldn't.

"Ah good Miss Nygma you're still here, I have some good news and some bad news." The Warden exclaimed as he entered my office. Something told me both sides of the news was going to be bad, was probably the way he was staring at me to be honest.

"Good news?" I questioned hoping this was actually good news.

"Well Batman finally did something good for once and caught the Joker, bad news is he is coming to Arkham and we will be assigning him to you. You have the shortest list of patients since we had to move everyone around. Not to worry however you will always have a guard in the room with you so that what happened with Miss Quinzel doesn't happen to you."

"I don't need a guard, I'm not an emotionally unstable woman who craves male attention. Least of all from a deranged psychopathic serial killer clown. When is he to be admitted?" I asked him, I guess my little rant caught him off guard a bit.

"You won't be seeing him till your back from your day off not to worry. Just enjoy your day off!" He practically cheered to me before rushing back out of my office door. Now what, that was all the worst news I could have been given. The Joker? He was one of Gotham's worst, the man didn't even have a name, sure they had a speculation of his name being 'Jack Napier' heck he has even referred to himself as 'Joe Kerr'. I would get stuck with him, even after what happened with Harleen they still thought it was best to shove the madman with another woman.

At least I knew his games and I wasn't about to let him get to me. I instantly texted Edward about the news hoping it would get him out of his ignoring me bit and get him to talk to me about this whole Joker bit. On the outside sure I was acting calm cool and collected as I was steadily walking from my office to the check out. Yet in my head I was melting down, this guy probably did some recon on every single employee in here before getting caught. There was no way he got caught by accident everything I read and heard about this man was always carefully thought out.

Unless him being caught was done by Harleen then he for sure was caught by fluke. She was known for backstabbing him whenever he got her angry which from what Floyd had told me the other day he and Harleen had something small going on between them, and that she hadn't mentioned the Clown Prince in a few weeks. So that was also very likely.

Once I had made it to my car I noticed Edward still hadn't texted me back, I did what all stupid scared girls do and waited with the phone pressed to my ear as it rang. "Mia?" I heard the voice on the other end. I sat there in silence not really sure what I was thinking or what to even say. "Are you crying Mia?" The voice said again.

"Barry; They're assigning me to the Joker." was all I could say.

"I'm in Gotham doing something for work… I can always meet you for dinner or something… if you want to talk about it?" Barry knew me well he knew warm comforting food was the only real way to get me to talk about things making me uncomfortable. Central City never sent their Forensic Scientists to other Cities ever… they just conversed over the phone about things.

Yet for some reason Barry being in Gotham didn't even matter didn't even register. "I'll text you my townhouses address I should be there in a half hour… might take you the same time to get there from Gotham PD." I told him as I hung up my phone tossing it into my purse knowing that digging it out later was going to be a right pain in the ass.

* * *

Once I pulled up to my townhouse I noticed Barry was already there sitting on the steps outside playing on his phone. All the time apart and he still looked exactly the same, plaid casual dress shirt, blue jeans and his hair pushed back slightly. I did miss him and sure I never really stopped loving him but there was no way we could have continued our relationship. "Hey." I said to him as I stepped out of my car and locked it.

He stood up making his way towards me pulling me into a very tight very warm hug. "Mia." He sighed as he held me. I hugged him back, but nowhere nearly as tight as he held me. "I saw a small little diner not too far away from here on my way to you. It was really nice." He told me as he started leading me down the sidewalk.

The walk was pretty awkward Barry telling me how Cisco and Caitlin were doing, how the West's where doing even though he knew full well that Iris was one of the main reasons we broke up. His undying feelings for her and the fact that everyone saw them except for her. He didn't think I knew but we always had to bring her along to things, she was always mentioned and he always had to be talking to her. Of course I knew.

When we finally got to the diner Barry apologised for it actually being really far away, I wasn't sure why he said it was a few minutes away when it was in fact nearly an hours walk from my place. The place was actually really nice on the inside even through from the outside it looked like it was just some run of the mill fast food place with no seating. How did he even know about it being nice?

"I've known you for nearly seven years Barry Allen and yet you still manage to surprise me. Why are you really in Gotham, how did you even know this place was nice… we couldn't even see if from the inside." I rambled.

I watched as he looked down at the table seemingly contemplating something before he let out a deep breath of air and leaned in closer to me. "I'm the Flash." He told me searching my face for a response which was really just me staring blankly at him.

"Seriously Barry… anyway what did you want to order." What was he expecting me to tell him? That I was Batman or something, or rather Batwoman.

"What if I was being serious?" He asked me, "I'll probably get a burger." He smiled. Barry and his Carbs nothing changed.

"About being the Flash? Would explain why he always managed to stop me from nearly being hit by a car, scratched by a cat, hit by a ball. Yet you were always working when those things happened. How would you have known?" I laughed, "I'm probably going to get the Carbonara." I sighed, "I still can't believe I'm assigned the Joker didn't they see him and women don't mix? Look at what happened to Doctor Quinzel." I sighed taking a sip of the water they brought.

"I would like to think I always knew when the girl I'm in love with is in trouble Mia." He sighed almost like he was annoyed. "You're also a lot stronger of a woman than Harley Quinn is, sure she's stronger now but mentally she is very weak… sure you can be too but I can't see the Joker ripping you down to the point he did with her. Mia you just can't let him get to you, lie to him about your personal life… that's all she got too personal."

"I know but the guy as crazy as he is… is a very intelligent man. He'll know I'm lying and I'll perhaps never get through to him. I don't know I know these criminals are nothing like Central City and that's something I have to accept. I just, I care about their well being."

"I know you care Mia but with the Joker you can't." He reminded me.

"I know. I deal with enough crazies… they have me working with Scarecrow, two-face, Victor Zsasz, Deadshot and Captain Boomerang." I told him, I knew Barry never paid attention to criminals first names but he always seemed to know the silly pen name they went by.

"Captain Boomerang?" He questioned, "Why is he in Arkham?"

"They think it's easier to keep an eye on Task Force X when there in a high security mental facility rather than a prison. He's so irritating always hitting on me, and asking me such personal questions." I told him as our food was set down in front of us, "Of course he would hit on you, annoying aussie-" He paused probably realising how I was staring at him.

"What?" I questioned. "Nothing, That guy is the Flash's most irritating nemesis ask him about that." He seemed annoyed.

"He never mentioned that to me… how did you know that?" I asked him, Barry just looked at me with wide eyes. "You really don't believe me?" He asked me as I just continued to stare at him with some disbelief.

After that the meal got really awkward with more small talk much like we had on the walk here. I felt like I shouldn't have mentioned my patients to Barry it seemed to be what turned the mood at dinner. Which made me feel really bad, obviously he wasn't here on work business and had come to see me and I just went along babbling about work. It was weird that he was so uptight over Harkness however.

Once we were done dinner we went to leave the small diner only to find that it was pouring rain. "Seriously." I sighed, this would happen. I felt Barry wrap his arm around my waist pulling me closer to him he was holding me tightly and before I could even blink we were inside my house. I pulled myself away from him looking around myself at my own home like it was a hologram almost. Touching my hair my clothes, patting him down too… we were dry. Bone dry.

"How… how...this isn't even possible." I began to stammer out.

Barry just stood there with a smile on his lips; "Mia, I told you."

"That's just not… the particle thing blowing up… you?" I asked him as he nodded.

I stood there taking it all in for a moment before punching him in the shoulder than instantly holding it close because, his shoulder was a lot harder than I had expected. He had grabbed his shoulder "ow, what was that for?" He asked me in a bit of a pained voice.

"We dated for an entire year after that happened and you never once thought to tell me you are the Flash? Seriously Barry what the hell!" I exclaimed causing him to laugh.

"Cisco, Caitlin and the others made me swear to keep it a secret. Cisco thought someone would try to hurt you should they have found out."

"Barry… you saved me from nearly walking into a post… while I was texting you about dinner plans with Felicity and Oliver… your enemies would have to be absolutely stupid not to notice things like that."

"They didn't notice that." He laughed, "You're a really smart girl and you didn't see it." He pointed out.

"So you are really the Flash… that's crazy." I commented as we sat down in my livingroom. "That doesn't mean we're dating again." I teased.

"I know, I wish it changed things but I know it doesn't. I came here because I could sense something was wrong, you hadn't even been talking to Cisco or Felicity I needed to know you were ok." He told me as I pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you Bares." I told him before pulling away giving him no time to return the hug. "For listening to me rant about the Joker, saving me all those times and well everything. I am sorry for leaving you." I told him.

"I think Cisco is more upset about us breaking up than I am. I mean sure I'm upset but… He's outside of himself." He laughed.

"He just liked all the stupid riddles I spouted off to him." I laughed, riddles I learned from Edward.

"This was nice." I smiled at him almost forgetting what spending time with Barry was even like. "It was; I'm glad we can at least be friends again Mia." He told me, "I do however have to get back to Central City; I'm supposed to help the Green Arrow take down some villain roaming the streets of Star City." I couldn't help but laugh.

"Keep in touch than alright?" I asked him as he smiled, "Always Mia, anything you need." He told me and like that Barry was once again gone.

I quickly locked my door and began to get ready for bed; I plugged my phone into my charger not before noticing I had missed a text from Edward. Something about being careful around the Joker but the weird part of the text was him talking about being bullied at work. He never once told me about being bullied or this officer that had been bullying him.

I quickly texted him back explaining I was going to bed but I wanted him to come over for the whole day, this was something that as siblings we needed to talk about. His response gave me a very unnerving chill down my spine.

' _The answer to this, is what will become of him.'_

' _ **The answer to what Eddy?'**_

' _I am always around, but never seen. I am often avoided, but you can't out run me. for I will come when you're old and grey, or maybe even the very next day. I will come with cold embrace, and give you rest with a chilled kiss on your face. I come in many forms of emotional state, weather it's irony, love, laughter, or hate. I am everyone's finale fate… what am I?'_

' _Good night Amelia I will be by your place around lunch would you be so kind as to make those wonderful tarts you used to make me?'_

Death. The answer to that riddle was Death. What was happening to my brother he was never this dark before, I noticed it first when he picked me up from work, when I mentioned Bruce Wayne and Batman… whatever it was I was going to figure it out and put an end to it before it could even begin.

* * *

 **Barry Allen is Portrayed by Grant Gustin from the TV Series the Flash.**  
 **He will be in a few chapters but not very often.**


	4. Chapter 4

A Killing Joke

Chapter Four

* * *

I sat there in silence as I stared at Edwards text messages that he had left last night. What was going on with him. Something wasn't right; today was my day off so I knew I at least had the time to run around and try to sort out Edward. I slipped into a basic shirt and jeans rushing to the door with my purse grabbing a jacket as I locked up and made my way towards my car.

I knew Edward would be out, he had mentioned it to me a few days ago. I knew him being away from work was probably the best time to head to the station and snoop around. I was increasingly worried about what I would find. Once I reached the station I made my way into the gloomy looking building. Gotham really did feel and look like it came right out of a page from the Adams Family.

There were large cells off to the one side half filled with criminals, desks all over the place with officers sitting at each one. They all looked so stressed out and just in a state of disorder and chaos. Papers just all over the place, not filed away, no wonder people like Victor Zsasz slipped into Arkham and not a maximum security prison.

I had to admit the arches on the roof and the way the building itself looked was shockingly beautiful. "Good morning Miss, is there anything I can assist you with?" A man asked as he approached me. His brown hair slicked back ever so slightly, his pale blue eyes hiding behind his glasses.

"Yes; My name is Amelia Nygma… My brother works here I just wanted to talk to someone in charge about him, he had complained to me about a coworker bullying him I just wanted to know it was being handled."

"Why don't you come with me to my office Miss Nygma." He told me leading me to the Commissioner's' office; this was Gordon. Edward had spoken very highly of him, as has well everyone in this city. Apparently he worked alongside Batman having him help the department with the more deranged criminals.

Once the office doors were closed he pressed a weird button on his desk which I noticed turned off my phone. "I apologise; Jim Gordon." He said extending his hand to me as I shook it. "You'll have to excuse that, you can never be too careful of who is listening these days. I love this city and this department works very hard… and yet there are still those who are willing to let this city burn to the ground, still the few corrupt officers. You were asking about Officer Dougherty's bullying towards your brother. Our file clerk had been the first to report it to us. Miss Kringle."

I arched my brow; "Not Edward, that's not like him to let someone hurt him."

"No, he is usually very good at reporting mishappenings around the office. Like when he informed us on Miss Kringles bruises. I had thought everything was under control with the Officer when I had put him on a leave for a month for his threats towards Edward. They're still happening?" He asked me.

"When did you put him on this leave?" I asked curiously.

"Started a week ago, I'm assuming he's turned to the bottle. No one in this station has heard from him since he went on leave. Miss Kringle is now ex girlfriend said she went to go see him and he wasn't home." He explained as I took a seat in front of where he was sitting on his desk.

"Something is very wrong with Edward." I admitted, I hadn't really intended to let that out, or to tell anyone that Edward was concerning me. However if this man was missing after what Edward said to me the night before I was worried.

"What do you mean? Did he say the Officer hurt your brother that I was unaware of?" He said his voice coming out more rushed and worried than I had expected. Was my brother really that valuable of a worker here? Well of course he was, it was Edward he was a genius.

"He is just usually so bright and bubbly. Lately he's been growing this very dark side of him, he has been using riddles as a way to talk to me since we were kids, as a way to talk without our parents knowing what we were saying… lately they are incredibly… menacing and dark. It's not like him to try and scare me, if he even knows he's doing it." I explained.

"I was wondering where the riddles came from for years." Gordon seemed to sigh. "I can talk to him tomorrow when he's back in?" He seemed to offer to me.

I shook my head as if to tell him no, "He'll know I came in, could you just keep an eye on him for me? I'm worried about him." I should have shown him the texts in regards to that officer, told him about the dark look in his eyes as of late. Should have but; Edward was my brother and I wasn't going to let them admit Eddy just because of a darkness in his eyes.

"I can do that, Edward is a great worker and as annoying as the riddles can get he's a good man. I'll let you know if anything happens. You're better asking Miss Kringle about what's going on with Edward, word in the office is they're seeing each other." He smirked, a happy smirk. You don't see those ever.

"Thank you Commissioner Gordon." I told him as I stood up, "Jim please, Commissioner just makes me feel older than I am." He said with a soft chuckle causing me to smile at him. "Jim. Thank you again for your discretion."

* * *

Once I had returned back to my townhouse I flopped down on the couch letting out a long deep breath of air. Edward did something, I could feel it. Knowing that officer was nowhere to be see, Edward protected his Ex girlfriend agans domestic violence and is now seeing that same girl. This just none of this added up and just seemed to far to coincidental, was this darkness Edward was starting to show why he wanted me to stay away from Gotham?

What was wrong with me? I was mentally accusing Edward of killing someone to get a girlfriend. Edward wasn't sick there was nothing wrong with him. I pulled my phone out of my purse and noticed that I had missed a text message from Edward. Which caused my entire body to tense. Was I really afraid of my own brother?

' _Amelia, I need to see you. I'm afraid someone is following me.'_

' _ **I'm home Edward come here.'**_

Within seconds of me sending that to Edward he had knocked on my door and sat across from me on the couch as I stared at him worried; was he actually being followed? By that cop or someone else? Had he lost his mind? Was he in trouble?

"Someone killed that cop I told you about." I felt myself stiffen.

"How do you know?" I asked him cautiously.

"They left me a note in my door, they want to frame me. Amelia what do I do?"

I stood up and paced the room; "Tell Jim Gordon, he knows the cop was horrible to you and you aren't capable of murder Eddy. He would know that, you need to tell him Edward."

Edward just stared at me, "James Gordon is with them, he's corrupt." He seethed at me.

"Edward he isn't corrupt he is one of the good ones, please we need to tell someone." I begged him. "I can go talk to him Edward… I won't see someone get you in trouble I won't lose you."

I watched as he lowered his head just slightly enough to make his eyes almost looked black as this incredibly menacing smirk grew slowly onto his lips, his voice even changed when he spoke to me finally. "What will become of you dear sister if you go to Jim Gordon?"

"What? Edwards don't talk like that." I nearly demanded him.

"I have no mind or a soul. I've been eternally attached since man's dawn.  
My kind disappear on and off, to everyone I accompany them to their death,  
and buried with them, then I hide away when the casket shuts. What am I?" He asked me.

"...Edward?" I questioned the darkness of the riddle.

Edward stood up and rushed at me causing me to fall back into the wall. "What… are… you?"

"A shadow…. A shadow Edward." I said feeling the crack in my voice nearly break my entire voice. "Edward I just wanted to protect you."

"Edward, ha! I am… an Enigma." He said roaring with laughter.

"What?" Edward what is going on. The man before me moved closer to me his eyes growing even darker, "You want to protect him? You protect me."

"You are him, Edward stop this. You don't have a split personality. Don't do this…"

He moved away from me walking back towards the couch. "You were...hmm." He pondered as I moved away from the wall straightening myself out slightly. "How do you make the number one disappear by adding to it?" He asked me.

I just stared at him as he sat back down on the couch adjusting himself like nothing just happened between us. "G. You add the letter G to one to make it gone." I told him as he smirked.

"Edward, I wasn't gone because I didn't want to be here for you I got assigned to Central City's Asylum… I moved here to be closer to you." I told him.

"Do not lie to me you stupid girl! You moved back because you were to afraid of letting Barry Allen in, you knew he wanted to marry you yet the stupid little girl in you just couldn't accept it, couldn't accept that you are good enough and you ran away. Like you ran from me and Gotham. He had no feelings for that stupid girl, you made that up in your mind to justify leaving. Stop lying." He screamed at me taking me aback, Zsasz was right Edward did know but how?

"Yes I left because of Barry, Edward what mom and dad put us through scared me I don't want to get married and end up hating the guy like they hated each other."

"Yes sister because every guy is like dad. You passed on a man who would do anything to make you feel loved, then again with Bruce Wayne who would shower you with money… you are stupid." He continued.

"Get out." I said with little to no emotion in my voice. "I don't know what is going on with you, I don't know if that cop is dead, or if you killed him and I really don't care… You know I wouldn't turn you in but I will not tolerate you belittling me in my own house. Get out." I continued as he just smirked standing up.

"We did kill him Amelia. We will kill anyone that harms us or what we love, includes. I hadn't meant to be rude to you but you shouldn't keep things from your brother." Edward told me as I just shook my head shutting the door behind him. I wasn't still fully convinced he had killed that man but something was seriously disturbed in my brother.

What was with my brothers obsession with Bruce Wayne that happened over a week ago, I hadn't even given it a second thought so why was he. Why did he make it seem like me being in Central City all that time was a direct jab at him. Why was he acting like he had a split personality he never exhibited that before ever. I know often enough people 'gain' one in order to explain their actions… maybe he did hurt that cop.

I had no idea what to do, or who to talk to. Usually Edward was the one I would run too, sure I could call Barry but knowing that he was the Flash only made me worry that he would turn him into Gotham or worse that Bat freak. I felt so helpless in helping Edward, what would I even do if I could help him? Thinking about it, if I went to Gotham PD and spoke to Jim he would probably arrest Edward, throw him in Arkham. They would never let me see him, and seeing as how no one in Arkham stood a chance on leaving that place I couldn't accept that as a fate for Edward.

I pulled my sweater back on and rushed towards my car driving to that small restaurant that Edward had taken me too after my first day at work. If I couldn't talk to anyone connected to the law his new best friend Oswald would have to do. Even if he did creep me out,

* * *

I sat there as Oswald put a coffee in front of me, I had told him about the texts from the night before and the altercation in my living room just a half hour before I went to him. Oswald oddly enough didn't seem surprised at all about Edward's behaviour. In fact he was acting like what he was going through was perfectly normal hinting that I made a mistake in talking to him.

"I'm just worried about him, I have never seen Edward like this. I'm afraid something will happen and I won't be able to protect him from the GCPD or Arkham. I couldn't handle knowing he is in either place without a chance of getting out of them." I told him as he nodded.

"Arkham had a high rate of escapes a few years back, don't kid yourself however if someone wants out of that place. There are always ways. I'll talk to Edward, he knows you love him Miss Amelia. He must just be in a panic, that Officer was a terribly horrible man he must just be scared." He told me as I finished my coffee.

"I'm really glad he found you Oswald; I just became so worried about him. Usually he is so calm with me. Tells me everything, but that darkness I've been seeing in him has really started to worry me." I confessed to him as I stood up readying myself to leave confidant that Edward would be handled with care once Oswald found him and spoke to him.

I walked out and started towards my car heading towards my house when I noticed I was being followed. Why would anyone be following me, I was really starting to wish I never left Central City where the only person who followed me around was Barry and I lived a boring existence.

Once I pulled up to my place parking my car walking around getting ready to dial for the police when a woman in a tweet skirt and matching jacket climbed out of one of the trucks followed by a man decked out in a bulletproof vest and gun. If my life was about to become one of those messed up affairs with constant happenings I wanted out now. "Amelia Nygma." The woman asked with little to no emotion in her voice.

"Yes?" I asked her backing up slightly when the one ordered me to stop moving like I was the one holding the assault rifle in my hands not him. I probably couldn't even hold that if I wanted to, I had little to upper body strength.

"Is there something I can help you with?" I asked my voice cracking. "You can get in the truck, I'm going to need to have a few words with you." She said as I stifled a laugh.

"No offence lady but, he has a gun and none of you have identified yourselves. I'm not going anywhere but to the GCPD." I told her as she sighed.

"My name is Amanda Waller. Flag bring her into the truck Miss Nygma and I need to have a talk." He said as the guy ushered me to follow him.

"I won't let anything happen to you Miss; I'm here for your protection not hers." He whispered to me causing me to arch my brow at him. "What?" I whispered back.

"Deadshot mentioned you on the last mission; mentioned you are a really good doctor. Waller here has her way you'll be working on her thumb. I may work for her but that doesn't mean I always follow her rules… get in you'll be safe." He told me as I climbed into the truck.

Floyd mentioned me? That must mean so had George, which I was glad the guy with the gun didn't mention his name. Really didn't need that crazy thinking we had something going on between us, than telling everyone else about it too. I looked at the woman as she sat across from me once the vehicle started to move. I had to admit I was really worried this had something to do with Edward.

"You're working in Arkham Asylum, you work with Deadshot and Captain Boomerang?" She asked.

"They are two of my patient yes, you could have just come to my office tomorrow to ask me about that." I told her as I crossed my arms and attempted to look out the window, or well anywhere away from her.

"Arkham Asylum is corrupt, half the guards there are under the thumb of some of Gotham's elite mobsters and criminals. Can't trust them not to listen when they see a government official step inside."

"Because picking up a psychiatrist off the side of the road in front of their home isn't equally suspicious." I told her cocking my head to the side, "How can I help you Mrs. Waller?" I wasn't sure where my balls were coming from but I was really hoping she didn't say anything intimidating because they would vanish as quickly as they had come.

"You're being assigned to the Joker tomorrow; I can assure you he will not be on his best behaviour as it was my Task Force that is the reason for his capture. Harley Quinn his now ex beau is the one who came up with the plan for capturing him. I can't suspect he'll be very kind. I need to know that you will report anything he says to me in regards to escaping, on going crimes or things he may have hidden around the City." She requested.

"I can't even get George Harkness to be honest with me, or Harvey Dent to open up… What makes you think I can get the Joker to tell me anything?" I questioned her.

"He likes women; he finds our gender easily corruptible… if he thinks-" I put my hand up to cut her off.

"I am not putting my life, safety or career in danger just so you can get him to admit things that will probably all turn out to be lies. No, you can't even ask me to do that, are you insane look at what happened to Doctor Quinzel and you think another Doctor would just be eager to have that happen to them? No. If he says something in a session that I think can help I'll pass it on but no way will I subject myself to that idiocracy just to help you." I told her as she just sat there looking unimpressed tapping for the truck to stop moving.

"If he says anything you call this number immediately, and this-" She said handing me a similar button to the one in Jim Gordon's office, "Press it before you call, stops any and all bugs in the phone or room from working. Rick, take her back to her home please." She said as I climbed out of the car to be greeted by the soldier from earlier.

"Is she always that warm and cuddly?" I asked him as he just smirked, "No sometimes she offers you tea, and gives you compliments."

"Oh really, I can't imagine how wonderful that must be." I sighed, "Just take me home please." I asked him as he nodded leading me back towards the other truck before they took me back home. This was going to be a long night; first Edwards blow up, Oswald being even more weird, Jim Gordon and now this insane woman requesting me to take risks I wasn't about to take.


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry this chapter took so long! I had a lot trouble writing the Joker. :(  
I hope this is good... please let me know if he is an alright joker!

* * *

A Killing Joke

 _Chapter Five_

* * *

I had been pacing around my office since I had gotten here three hours ago. I had been awake all night worrying about today, was I wearing enough make-up? Too much? Was I dressed appropriately, or was I dressed overly provocative. Normally none of this would matter but with the Joker anything I do or don't do would all be noticed by him. I almost felt that wearing purple or green would set him off so I avoided it, wore a black dress shirt instead of my normal bright ones. Pencil skirt over dress pants, didn't need to come off as too authoritative apparently that was something that set him off.

I must have read over his book of a file twice, Doctor Quinzel was the one who set him up to be captured. Imagine the amount of anger and betrayal that man must have been harboring inside him right now. Pairing him with me just seemed like a death sentence for me, and it just worried me more. I had been under the assumption Batman just kind of lucked out and grabbed him. I had managed to borrow the notes of the Doctor who was treating Harleen Quinzel and was honestly surprised by the amount of hate and anger she had grown towards her lover.

Well I wasn't surprised anyone brainwashed like she was, was bound to crumble eventually. He drove the Doctor to madness, made her go against everything she stood for as a professional and human being. For what? Some false sense of love and belonging? No wonder Barry and Edward had told me to request not to take the Joker in as a patient. I felt like I didn't have a choice to be frank.

Finally sitting down at my desk I pulled out my planner to see what the day held for me. It wasn't like I was just dealing with the Clown all day. I had other patients. I was supposed to see Doctor Crane and George Harkness today yet to my dismay George was out on a mission with the ever growing task force X today. Drats. Victor Zsasz requested a meeting with me today which was both welcome and worrisome. I paged down for Doctor Crane to be brought up to my office before heading over to gather my files to get ready for another turbulent talk with the good Doctor Crane.

"Doctor Nygma, how I missed our meetings. It's been a few days since I've been able to see you. So much to talk about." Doctor Crane started as I just smiled at him as I prepared to get comfortable in my spot.

"Doctor Crane; I had heard you got into a bit of trouble did you want to talk about that?" I asked him.

"If by trouble you mean, the people here didn't like something I said and shoved me into solitary yea, I'm quite alright. I heard there is a new crazy in the pen are you allowed to tell me who it is?"

"Jonathan you know I'm not allowed to disclose that to you. We are here to talk about you, about what's going on with you. If you aren't willing to do that then I'm afraid I'm going to start cutting our meetings shorter and shorter until you do." I explained to him.

"Your idle threats don't scare me Doctor. I have never had a need to talk to you, or anyone in here really. I'm not sick, twisted or crazy. I don't need a shrink, regardless of their own personal goals in here talking to me about things that don't matter. I'll be out of here soon enough… I can promise that." He grinned at me as I just smile again.

"It really is a shame Doctor Crane, I never once attempted to treat you as if you were like the other patients in here. I'm aware of the amount of patients in Arkham that have no real need to be in here other than it was cheaper to house them in here than in one of the many overcrowded prisons. I was simply giving you an ear, someone who would listen to any complaints you had and try to make being here more tolerable. However if you think you can escape Arkham and don't need me that's fine also." I told him as I walked to the door tapping on it as the two guards re entered my office.

"Doctor Crane here would like to be brought back to his cell." I told them as I made my way back over to my desk.

Considering the amount of crazy I had to deal with by the end of my day there was no part of me that was going to sit around wasting my time with patients that really didn't need or want my help. So what if this was an unprofessional way to react but it wasn't like I hadn't been reading the news. It wasn't like I didn't know what happened to get Doctor Harleen Quinzel to become Harley Quinn. I looked up from my desk once I had sat down and was once again alone in my office, I guess apart of me was sort of hoping Doctor Crane was just being a dick and actually wanted to talk to me.

I knew Victor was my next patient before the Joker and I was hoping for some reason that would take me more than an hour. I could go for an early lunch and see if Barry could speed by for a pep talk. That also still seemed so unreal; how did I miss Barry being the Flash? Since finding out he was everything just made sense, how he was always super early, or right place right time.

I stood up from my desk picking up the phone to page to have them bring up Zsasz. The first time I had met the man he managed to both clear and scatter my head. I would need to be in a good or at least decent mind frame for the Joker. Food would have to wait till after Victor and I were finished talking. I went towards the couch sitting down waiting for Victor to be brought into my office.

Soon enough I watched as the man was lead in and slowly sat before me not saying a word until the guards had left my office to wait outside for me to call them in to return Zsasz back to his cell. "You met the allusive Bruce Wayne so I heard. Having trouble with your brother too? Not because of my revelations I hope. You'll be handling the Joker what a joy that will be. He's more than angry I can almost bet he will try to drive you mad. However from the development I have seen from you I can't see that being very easy." He started.

"Why does everyone care so much about Bruce Wayne? He seemed like an ass." I sighed.

"Why do they care? He's rich and secretive, does so many things that are just odd for a man that spends all his time alone." I shrugged, "Money doesn't equal happiness." I told him as he seemed to smile.

"What do you know about what's going on with my brother?" I asked him.

"Do not trust the Penguin he will lead you astray, he's devious behaviour manages to get people killed he doesn't care about anything beyond his mom and his own moral justice. As for your brother he is unraveling into madness. Riddles, so many yes?" He started to chuckle, "His obsession with Bruce Wayne and being bullied is what has gotten him in such free fall."

"Wait why Bruce?"

"You're brother met him not long ago and had given him a bunch of riddles, to which he answered them all yes… until he told your brother he was a freak. He killed the cop that was bullying him two weeks ago… " I felt my eyes widen, my brother killed someone?

"Edward wouldn't do that, he wouldn't kill anyone."

"Edward no, but the Riddler would. What a name… very fitting."

"I can keep him safe, from detection I won't let him get locked away in this place." I told him still not sure why I was allowing myself to be so honest with a criminal, was it that I was afraid to come clean to Barry or any of my other friends since the whole thing went down with Edward.

"You say that; but the mad always have a way of getting caught. Batman always manages to find them."

"He is this towns White Knight." I mumbled I was annoyed with hearing about this Batman it was almost an everyday thing someone mentioning him or wanting to discuss him.

"Even White Knights have weaknesses; someone just needs to unmask him for all the world to see… then and only then will he become defeatable." He seemed to chuckle menacingly.

"You're forgetting he's buddies with Wonder Woman and Aquaman, he's bound to have protection and loyalty surrounding him. That and unmasking him just gives him a name and more credibility, it would never take away from the things he has been doing to protect Gotham." I explained to him as he shrugged. "You aren't wrong." He told me with a smirk, I concluded out meeting at the point. I needed to reevaluate myself, why was I asking Victor Zsasz for advice, why was I excited about our meetings. Was I really that hurting for a friend that understood the complexities that were quickly becoming my life?

I moved swiftly to get out of Arkham to head out for my lunch break. Stopping at a small sushi bar and taking a small seat. What was wrong with me? Why was I breaking the code of conduct just to figure out how to deal with Edward. I shouldn't even have to deal with it, any sane person would have turned him into the GCPD by now; family or not.

Yet here I was trying to get Victor Zsasz to tell me what to do and how to do it. What was I thinking. Arkham could possibly be the best thing for Edward; I could even get him transferred to Central City and I could move back there to help him. It was no secret that Arkham was a death sentence for anyone put in here. There was no real treatment plans just casual talks and meetings with the criminally insane, and if those talks didn't help they were doped up and sedated between meals.

I had to do something; as I placed my order I decided to text Edward asking him to tell me what was going on with him, or who this alter ego was that was taking him over. Told him as a family we would keep him safe from the GCPD, Arkham and Batman's hands until there was nothing else to be done. I didn't expect an answer since he was rarely talking to me as it was anyway.

I was sure there was something I could do legally within the system to get help for my brother that wouldn't result in him wasting away in a criminal cell. No one needed to know that he had killed that officer, not like Edward, his ego or myself was ever really planning on telling anyone about it. "This spot taken?" I heard a deep cool voice ask from behind me.

I turned slightly to see Mr Wayne standing there behind me motioning at the seat beside me at the bar. "No by all means." I smiled softly remembering that at the request and pestering of Edward I had chosen not to pursue Mr Wayne or calling him.

"I have to admit never hearing from you was, well it was disappointing." He laughed softly before raising his hand signaling he was ready. "So you're the new Doctor down at Arkham, pretty risky working there." He told me.

"I really had meant to call, I had just gotten very busy at work and things with my brother have become pretty messy." I admitted.

"Brother? Edward down at the GCPD?" He asked me.

"How do you know things about me when I hardly know who you are?" I questioned him.

"I'm Bruce Wayne, it's my job to know everyone in Gotham." He told me, "That and I may have had Alfred look into you, and Jim Gordon may have told me you came to him."

I couldn't help but laugh, "You are persistent Mr Wayne I'll give you that. Alfred is your P.I. I take it?" I asked him.

"No Alfred is, well Alfred has been apart of the Wayne family for more than a life time." He explained to me which really only told me that the man worked for Bruce and was likely the butler. Which I also half expected a man like Bruce Wayne to have one.

"I will have to meet this man one day." I told him with a soft smile.

"Ah so you'll take up my offer to grab dinner with me?" He asked me this time which felt a lot better than the demand to call him last time.

"I suppose I will, I'm sure you'll figure out where to pick me up and my number by tonight so I'll hear from you later then?" I asked him not entirely positive where this new found confidence was really coming from.

"I'm sure I can get Jim to put out an APB for your car." He smiled to me before I paid for my food and left back to get to my car before realizing; there was no way Bruce just stumbled upon me at the Sushi bar he already knew I was there. Which was sort of creepy but also some what endearing. Besides Barry no guy ever really put that much effort into trying to impress me, I never thought I was particularly hard to impress.

Once I was back at the office I went through the Joker's file one last time before requesting for him to be sent up here. To say I wasn't absolutely terrified over what was about to happen would be a lie. I wasn't sure what to expect, what to think. Part of me thought he was just going to sit there and bicker to me about how I'm a woman, or try to schmooze me over like he had with Dr Quinzel. Something that did worry me, what if Barry was wrong and I was just like Harleen? What if I was just as easy to get to as she was?

I couldn't think like that. There was no space for thoughts like that.

"Marcus could you please have …. The Joker brought up to my office please." I paged down only to hear 'are you sure' as the response. Once confirming that was in fact something I wanted I moved myself to the table where the Joker was about to be chained to the floor. Mentally preparing myself for the nightmare that was about to unfold in front of me.

I heard the door open and could already hear his laughter filling my office, was this his way of throwing me off before I could even start? I didn't turn to give his laughter any of the attention he was wanting from it. I did however watch as his laughs slowed down into some mechanical laughter as they forced him into the seat and hooked his chains into the respective hoops.

The guards left my office leaving me alone with the madman as he seemed to just stare at me with amusement before rolling his head back and slamming his fists onto the table causing me to jump slightly. His laughter just started back up again as I cleared my throat oddly silencing him, "I am going to be your Doctor while you are in Arkham. My name is-" Was telling him my first name a good idea?

"Amelia Nygma." He said dragging out both my first and last name almost as if he was seething it from his teeth.

"Doctor Nygma." I corrected him, he sucked on his teeth almost tisking at me for not allowing him a personal base with me. "What is it I should call you? The Joker?" I asked him as he just laughed.

"Oh I can pick, I get to chose." He started dragging out the word chose "Pick, pick, pick." He said as he seemed to look around the room as if he'd been in this office before. Which I knew he hadn't been.

I just sat there taking in a deep breath not really sure how to react to the man sitting in front of me as he seemed to enjoy the confusion he left me with after each breath. "Joe Kerr, Jack Napier. Are names really that important Amelia? What're you going to do when I give you one?" He questioned me, and before I could even open my mouth his voice grew dark as he tried to move closer to me over the table, "Enslave me?"

"I er- no, it's just." And there went my confidence the clown prince of Gotham had managed to fluster me, how did I even let that happen. "It's protocole and I didn't think you'd want to be called inmate." I told him trying my hardest to keep my composure as his baby blues bore into my own. His face covered in tattoos, his teeth a half grill from what I read the Batman punching them out. He looked so menacing yet something else was there, and I'm guessing it was the small bit of charm and normality behind his eyes that drew Doctor Quinzel in.

"Do not call me inmate." He said in a low growl.

"Then what? You have to give me something." I told him as he went back to oddly looking around my office.

The way he was staring at me was making me feel uneasy like I was being examined for weaknesses. I didn't like this, I hated feeling like my patients had something over me. Victor did the same thing to me, as did Doctor Crane. It was like they knew something about me that was just hidden to me. Like if they got out I was in trouble, which explained why I usually just let them lead their sessions.

"I suppose Jack, is just fine for now." He said with little to no expression painted on his ghost white face. I had always wondered if that was paint, but reading that it was something his chemical dive had done to his skin had honestly shocked me. I had always assumed it was something he did on purpose to play the role of a clown. Knowing he willingly jumped into vat at the Ace.

"Alright, Jack." I said awkwardly as he sat there grinning at me as if there was some sort of joke behind the name Jack. I assumed it was a off nickname from the Joker. "Where do you want to start?"

"You want to know why I am….how I am?" He grinned.

"To figure out the madness, you're going to need to become a lot more invested Miss Nygma otherwise you will never scratch the surface." He said as he did this airy laugh that ended in heaving. This man wasn't insane he was a genius, he knew exactly how to draw everyone close to get what he wanted. I couldn't let what happened to Harleen happen to me, I wouldn't.

"I meant more like who were you before you became the Clown Prince of Gotham. Everyone came from somewhere, why crime?" I asked him as his grin slowly grew as he stared at me. "That's what I was referring to Miss Nygma." He said as his grin just stayed painted on his face.

"How was your relationship with your parents?" I asked him as he just smirked.

"I killed them, they are dead. Gone. I grew up in a circus." He told me as he started laughing wildly. I knew I was never going to get a serious answer out of him in regards to his past, meant I had to try another technique. I just hoped it didn't backfire on me too quickly.

"What about the last time you were in Arkham, you met Harley Quinn here didn't you? She's was a Doctor then, Harleen Quinzel?" I asked him preparing myself for the whiplash that was likely in store for mentioning her name when she was the reason he had even gotten captured.

He shocked me by laughing before, "Harleen Quinzel is dead too… She just doesn't realise how dead she is yet."

"So no one crosses you? That what you're telling me?" I asked him.

He moved closer to me again; "You may cross all over me if you want Miss Nygma, what size are you anyway? You look like you would be just delicious." He told me causing chills to roll up my spine.

"Jack I'd like it if you didn't speak to me like that." I told him trying to stand my ground.

"Everyone likes hearing they are...desired, You and you're tight skirt and blouse that is obviously too small for you… likes hearing it." He told me as I looked down at my shirt which was actually a size too big, and all pencil skirts where tight. It wasn't like I did that on purpose, this was how he got Harleen. He convinced her that was something she wanted, something she liked. I wasn't going to let him get to me like she did.

"No, Jack I don't like to be spoken to like that. I am a woman who likes to be treated with respect and decency." I told him.

"Then you would just love Bruce Wayne. Gotham's biggest waste of space. The man lives alone in a big house and spends stupidly in public to be seen as a big shot… what a joke." He said laughing as if he had told me a joke when he in fact told me something about himself. He didn't like the Wayne family. Which was seeming to be a common thing with the criminals in Arkham. Between this Batman and Bruce, they were more hated than the GCPD and Detective Gordon.

"So you hate Bruce Wayne?" I asked him as he shrugged.

"Hate, hate, hate. Such a violent word." He chuckled just further confusing me. "I could get a woman like you if I wanted. He isn't special." He told me as I arched my brow.

"No one said he was." I sighed.

"That's why you have a note on the back of your clipboard to call him to set up a dinner? You think because you're on that side of the table I can't have you….I already do Miss Nygma. No one will go near you once I say so." I stood up slamming my clipboard down.

"That is quite enough. You will not speak to me like I am your property. I am not Harley Quinn and you will learn to stay on your side of this table. You will either come to these sessions and participate normally or I will just keep sending you back to your cell until you get it. You are a patient of this Psychiatric Hospital, not outside on the streets. Is this understood?" I practically shouted at him.

He just grinned like a total psychopath; "Finally a woman who takes charge… I like that." He told me causing me to get goosebumps all up and down my arm. "Guard, The Joker is ready to head back down to his cell." I shouted over my shoulder to the guard outside the door.

The Joker just sat there grinning at me as the two guards began to unchain him to remove him from my office. I don't understand what his quick obsession was with me, probably and most likely because I'm a woman and he felt since it was so easy with Harleen. That I would be just as quick of an escape plan as she was. "I'll see you at our next…. Session." He said looking me up and down trying to get as close to me as possible to almost as if he was trying to sniff me. "Amelia."


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys sorry it took me actually forever to post this chapter and that it's awful. I've had a lot going on in the interim of me starting and finally finishing this chapter however I am back and updates should be more than once every million years :P

* * *

 **A Killing Joke**

 _Chapter Six_

Two days, it had been two days since I had my encounter with the Joker and it had left me physically shaken. It wasn't like he wasn't what I was expecting; in fact he had exceeded my expectations. I had tried getting a hold of Edward the entire day after I met with him but he wasn't answering any of my messages. I even resorted to going to see Edward's friend Oswald but he claims he hadn't seen him either which was a blatant lie. I'd been lied to enough in my profession to know when someone is being dishonest with me, well I hoped I was able to notice it.

I had even spent most of the day talking to Barry and Cisco about the whole Joker thing and asked for their input. Of course Cisco was there to ask me at least a million questions about his tattoos and his overall behaviour, being a fanboy over some nut job in clown paint. Barry, well his take was that I should move back to Central City and let Gotham tear itself apart. Which I guess was Barry Allen speak for let him do his superhero duties with his new Bat friend and come back to where I was actually safe.

I knew Gotham wasn't safe but it was where my family was; I couldn't just leave Edward alone here without anyone beyond Oswald. He wasn't a bad man but he wasn't particularly good either, I had no idea what he was saying to Eddy to make him act the way he had been acting. If Oswald was doing anything at all, I mean my professional self was telling me that Edward could be having a psychotic break and this could all really just be him. Something that had been there our whole lives and just now finally reaching the surface.

I looked over at my phone as it sat next to my on the table, I had messaged Bruce the other day regarding getting dinner with him. To be honest I was more than nervous about that, well I was more concerned about what the Joker had said to me in our meeting. Why me? Was I just another Harley cop out to him? My screen began to glow showing my brothers name lighting up the screen causing my heart to skip a few beats. I fumbled the phone in my hands before swiping across the screen pressing the phone to my ear.

"Eddy!" I practically shouted in the phone , "I was hoping to hear from you, something happened at work… I… well… where have you been? I went to the precinct they said you hadn't been to work." I paused hearing my brother soft cuckle.

"Amelia, Edward is fine." The now dark voice of my brother filled my ear.

"I don't...I-" I had started to say before he cut me off.

"The Joker is in Arkham I hear, you should be careful. I promised Edward I would take care of you. Was the one request he had. I have somethings for you…" He said causing my brows to furrow in frustration.

"What things?"

"If you can get the answers I'm sure you'll decode the message, you're a smart girl."

Riddles.

"It's how you'll find out who I've become… "When you do not know what I am, then I am something. But when you know what I am, then I am nothing. What am I?"

I had to admit this stumped me; not the answer but how it could possibly be whom Edward had 'become'. "A Riddle? You've become a Riddle?"

"You'll see Amelia this is the only way I can be who I am meant to be-" I cut him off with one of my own. "Until I am measured, I am not known. Yet how you miss me, When I have flown. What am I?"

"Time?" He questioned me.

"You're wasting all of ours divulging in this darkness Edward… stay safe." I told him hang up on our call.

I knew I shouldn't have hung up on him, hell I probably should have tried to get him to come home or come in. I knew he wouldn't have thought, something was going on with Edward and as much as I wanted to be there or him and help him. I couldn't it was as simple as that. Sitting there at my table I knew I should have started getting ready to go to work, however I was supposed to talk to Floyd and Digger today about their latest "Suicide Squad" mission.

Once I got to work I sat there at my desk hoping the day would just speed by so I could get on with my life. I didn't want to be here, I didn't want to talk to anyone that I had to speak too. I honestly wanted to crawl into a shower and sit there with the scalding water until my skin peeled off. Just thinking about the Joker made my skin crawl.

"Miss Nygma, Floyd is in the infirmary would you like us to send up Captain Boomerang?"

"George. Yes send George in please." I sighed, with Floyd in the hospital that would mean I would have to accept anyone who wanted to talk to me and that would more than likely be the king of laughs. I stood up gathering my file before making my way over to the couches as usual waiting for Digger to enter the room.

"Aye lass, always good to see a pretty face that doesn't come with an attitude problem yea?" Which I wasn't sure if he was asking me or telling me to be honest, most of what he said seemed rather nonsensical.

"We're here to talk about the mission you came back from, I understand Deadshot was injured." I asked him.

"Yea, shot in the shoulder. Nothing too serious, I was shot too, want to kiss it better?" He winked.

"I would rather throw up. You promised me you would be serious in these sessions Digger."

He rolled his eyes, "I know I promised ye', but the time I get to sit here and talk to you is the only time I get to talk to someone who isn't either trying to kill me or yelling at me. You actually want to save me, erry'body else wants me to fail and die." That was probably the most sincere thing he'd ever said, possibly in his entire life.

"Fine, what do you want to talk about?" I asked him.

"I want to ask a question, yea… one of those if we was in a different life ones." He started.

"A hypothetical question? Go on."

"Do you think, I would have been a better guy had I grown up under different you know...uh-" He muttered off.

"If you didn't grow up into a life of crime? Maybe it's possible."

"So you think I may have had a chance with someone like you." We had had this conversation before, this was either deja vu or his way of wanting to talk about something seriously personal while being very impersonal.

"Digger is there something you want to actually talk about besides the off chance you weren't into theft and heavy crime and the possibility of being with me? What is it, talk to me it's why I'm here."

"I thought about running off today, love. Running off and letting them blow off my head. I hate this, these missions to save the lives of people who even after I rescue them or stop an attack still look down at me like I'm worthless… I will never be a good guy but knowing I'm doing something good and still being mired in -" I stopped him and placed my hand on his knee.

"You don't need their validation to know that what you are doing is the right thing. Once you're entire sentence is reduced you can change your life around, fix things. You don't have to return to crime, there's a better life out there." I told him as he placed his hand on mine chuckling.

"The world knows my face love, I can never have a normal life. Why do you have so much faith in us changing our lives around when you know we can't." He asked me.

"Because, people all over the world commit awful acts everyday. So the world knows your face, so what? Once you're out you don't have to prove to anyone - anything. You'll be a free man to make your own choices." I reminded him.

"I have three life sentences on my head. Waller only takes off five years every time we finish a mission, and that's only if it was a difficult mission, if it was easy… two years." Waller obviously wanted them to be on her leash for the rest of their lives which was a cruel punishment in and on it's own. I couldn't imagine what they were going through or feeling half the time.

"That is such shit." I muttered quickly realising it wasn't in my head but outloud. I saw the smile on his face, "You aren't the only one who thinks so love, we're all pretty pissed off about it. We all think she's taking a piss."

"There's nothing I go do sadly, I mean I can try to talk to Colonel Flag. Though the likelihood of anything I say mattering is really small. Waller never striked me as a woman with any ounce of a soul." I told him as He chuckled.

"You're alright Doc', you're alright."

"Pass that through the grapevine of my patients maybe then they will actually talk to me." I smiled.

"Well, with the Joka' around I don't think anyone is gonna be getting too personal with you."

"Which is ridiculous he doesn't own me, and he will not get under my skin like he did Harleen. I have respect for myself." I looked over at the clock, I had to send George back to his cell which from my understanding was much nicer than the hole they had him and the others in back at Belle Reve.

"Well, thanks for letting me talk to you as a friend and not a Doctor." I explained to him as he nodded. "Well love, with him here… you'll need all the friends you can get. He didn't just turn Harley when he was here… he got to guards too. Who do'ya think sprung him loose?"

I nodded, "Be careful love," He winked at me before the guards came in to take him back to his cell. Sadly he was right, and crazy enough if the Joker ever escaped… I would find a way to free George and Floyd. I knew they would keep me safe from him, however they were also criminals and you really can't trust criminals.

"Same time in a few days?" He teased as they dragged him out of the room leaving me sitting there to my thoughts. He couldn't escape there was no way he could, I mean they had updated the security tenfold since his last escape from Arkham.

* * *

"Sorry to bother you Mam' a patient requested to speak with you?" I heard a voice from the door, causing me to turn to face them slowly. "Which one would that be?" I asked dreading the next words that were about to fall from his mouth. I didn't need to hear that the Joker was still asking to speak to me. It was two days ago when he even got here and I was still shaken from the encounter not to mention I felt disgusting.

"Victor Zsasz, Can we bring him in or should we take him back down?" He asked me, my entire body just filled so quickly with relief and some small bits of joy. It wasn't that mad clown, that was all that really mattered is that it wasn't _him_.

"No, let him in. Please." I said as I made my way back towards my desk sorting through and grabbing the small notebook for my notes with Victor which had been a very few number of visits by far.

"You seem rather disheveled Miss Nygma. Shirt untucked, hair rather a mess, desk is quite out of sorts. The Joker's words got to you, that's all they are is words yet you should heed them as a warning. Your brother has completed his transformation too hasn't he? You're scared, worried, a little bit concerned for your safety. Safety is not a thing you will find in abundance here Miss Nygma… you're in Gotham now. Date with Bruce Wayne you have it put off why?" I turned around, I could swear this man was a mind reader with the information he always seemed to have on me.

I looked down and noticed he was right, my shirt was untucked. Which meant his other observations were probably spot on. I quickly tidy up my desk, tucked in my shirt and just let my hair down rather than in it's messy bun it was in. "His words hit me yes, but I'm not sure I am scared of him." I lied. "You wanted to speak that's why they brought you here?"

"You were away for nearly three days since you spoke with the clown. I wanted to be sure you were ok. You may have zero trust in us criminals however that does not mean we haven't grown the smallest bit of attachment to you. You seem to care for us 'villains' with no care or cause to how that will likely affect you in the future." He told me as I just sighed, "And don't tell me some lie about how we are just musing your mind to get freedom. We are most certainly not."

I just sat there trying to even form words in my own mind before he could continue. "You're right." I told him. "I'm completely at a loss here for what I'm supposed to do, how to react. I've completely lost my brother though I refuse to allow him to end up in this place. They would never let me treat him, so he wouldn't even be getting treatment."

"You still actually believe you can save us?"

"No one is beyond help Viktor. If you were beyond help you wouldn't be sitting across from me now talking to me as though we are friends, wouldn't be concerned for my well being."

"The last Doctor that actually cared for the patients of Arkham died over forty years ago. His name was Doctor Rikton Gerald. He came here from Germany when he was fresh out of University. He tried so hard to try and get the people here rehabilitated and put back into the general public. Like you Gerald also thought people were capable of change, of course the people he treated wanted nothing more then to show him that they could be. They weren't they just saw how good he was, how pure and honest his intentions were and even as horrible as they were they didn't want to disappoint him. That is you to us."

I let out a long sigh; "I'm not pure, and good. I just don't believe anyone deserves to spend their entire life locked in a cube with a giant glass wall having eyes on them the entire day. No glimpse of the outside ever again, locked away like rats in the dark. You may all think you're incapable of good but that's just not true."

"You really are the Ying to the mad King's Yang. My hope is that he doesn't see this. You will eventually have to face the Jokers music. Refrain from mentioning Harley Quinn, he wants nothing but to see her head on a pike."

"Which he never will, She will one day return to her proper self."

Viktor just sat there laughing; "That's a silly thing to assume, Miss Nygma." He said as the doors opened with the guards there ready to take him back to his cell. I didn't want to be the Jokers Ying or his Yang. Though to be fair he was right, the Joker was pure unrequited madness and I couldn't be more different from him.

* * *

"Miss, the um...Joker wishes to have a meeting with you. He's been asking every few hours since he left your office the first time he was here." One of the men had said from the doorway. He looked scared, almost like he was in a panic. Did the Joker really scare everyone here? Maybe Barry was right and I should just go back home… maybe Gotham was beyond saving. Sure they had the Batman but he was just as mental as the people in here. "Yes, of course. Send him up. In chains please and the jacket." I requested from him as he just nodded to me before shutting my door.

I quickly fixed my hair, and clothing. I did look a bit out of sorts. I heard the door open again, rather quickly too which worried me a bit. That means they had always intended to bring him up here regardless if I was prepared to take him or not. I turned slowly to see the Joker in a straight jacket being led to the table and being secured in place. His eyes never moving from mine which did leave me rather shaken.

I heard the door shut again telling me that the guards had left the room. Left me in this room alone with this mad man. "Please Miss Amelia. Please take a seat." His voice sounding eerily different than it had the last time we spoke. It was so stagnant, however I walked across the room with his file and sat across from him. He kept his eyes on me, they felt as if they were piercing into me. "I apologize for my over step." He said cooly.

This wasn't the Joker. He was playing a game, he had to be. Where were the laughs, the menacing comments, the remarks about what I wore, who I was seeing, this all seemed very off. I went to speak when he started up again; "From the chatter I've heard from guards and guests alike you are a very different Doctor. I like different." He remarked.

"I want to make a difference with the patients of this Asylum. I don't think they should have to be in here for the rest of their lives." I commented, which caused him to chuckle this dark almost scary chuckle.

"This is my fourth visit here, Miss Amelia. Do I scare you?"

I felt my skin crawl knowing it was apparently that easy for someone like this to just escape from this place. Said a lot about the Guards and Security of this place. Did he scare me? What kind of question was that? Obviously he terrified me, was that an amount of power he needed over me? Though maybe that would be how I could get through to him, maybe that was my in? Viktor did say they didn't want to disappoint me maybe the Joker could be the same way?

"The things I have read about you, have indeed scared me. They would scare anyone."

"I didn't ask about anyone. I asked about you, and I asked if I scare you not what you've read. Most of that isn't even stuff I did, most of that was Harley trying to impress me. That girl is truly sick."

I didn't even believe that was all Harley, there was no way she did all of those crimes without him or at least without him telling her too. Harley was a submissive personality she needed someone to control her, she thrived off being someone's puppet. She's textbook for that personality.

"Yes. You scare me." I finally let out since his gaze on me was starting to leave me uneasy. "I was so terrified by you I almost went back to Central City."

"That wouldn't have deterred me from wanting you Amelia." He said his voice turning almost cold.

I just stared at him blankly why did he have to say things like that? "Can we just use this time together for therapy not whatever it is you have in your own agenda? I will not be a pawn in your next escape attempt. I am your Doctor." I told him trying to keep my voice as calm and commanding as I could.

He just rolled his eyes at me before contorting his body and laughing. "If that's what you want." He snicked telling me he was back to his normal self unless, that serious him was the normal him. This must have been exactly how he tricked Harleen into his game, turning her into some murdering lunatic. Making her think there was more to him than just this psychopathic killer, he was just a deranged mental case.

"If you're not going to take this at all serious, what is the point? Why would we waste time I could be focusing on other patients? People who actually want to grow and change" I questioned him as I slowly shut the notebook that I had going for him.

"You actually think these people want your help? One thing you'll need to accept quickly Doctor is that this is just… who we are. There isn't anything wrong with us, but plenty wrong with everyone else."

"You speak for all of them? Somehow I don't think you speak for the entire population of Arkham. You're just one silly little man covered in childish tattoos who thinks blowing up buildings solves his mommy issues." I snapped, watching the glee grow in his eyes.

He started to laugh mechanically; "It must be really rough trying to contain all these, wild emotions you have going on in your head. With your brother becoming a maniac, I can't imagine the thoughts swelling that beautiful little head of yours."

"You know nothing about what is going on with Edward." I said, I was a Doctor why was I allowing him to get under my skin, act unprofessional, was it that maybe just maybe I thought that I would have a breakthrough with him? I must be crazy or he just really hit a trigger with me.

"No, you're not wrong. I don't know what's going on with dear sweet wittle Eddyward. However what's going on with Enigma… I know plenty about that… word travels baby." He smirked at me

I felt completely unnerved; shocked even. How could he even know about what was going on with Edward? How did anyone know? Was this weird alter ego Edward grow go and seek out people like the Joker? The criminally insane? I wanted to press the Joker on the subject, I needed to know how people knew, I needed to know who knew about this. There was no way I was going to allow anyone to get Eddy sent into this place. Knowing very few people in here actually cared about these people… I knew he would be in horrible hands would they not be my own.

"How?" I questioned him my voice growing quiet.

"What was that?" He asked me his lips curling up into a grin as he let his head fall backwards before he jolted upright causing me to jump slightly. "You need my help?" He questioned laughing mechanically.

"How do you know about what's happening to my brother? Who knows…"

He just sat there in his chair smiling at me with this dark growing look in his eyes, almost changing them from a bright blue to this almost black color. "What's in it for me?" He asked.

Of course there was a catch to this, of course I would have to do something for him to get the information needed about my brother. So clearly since he couldn't twist me using my heart like he did Harley, he was going to use my brothers mental health. "I think this is enough for today, I'll get one of the guards to bring you back to your cell." I had to talk to Edward.

"Sending me away right as things are starting to get good? Oh come on Doctor, we both know you want to know what I do. You want to know if the police know yet, you want to know what he's doing."

"I won't compromise myself anymore than I already have been since coming to this City."

"Too late for that now isn't it?" He commented just as the door opened revealing the two guards ready to take him from my office which left me with a small bit of relief. The moment he was taken away I practically ran to my desk in search for my phone to call Edward. I needed to know he was ok. I needed to know this extended personality wasn't going to get him caught or worse; killed.

I must have hit the wrong contact name about three times before actually hitting Eddy's name on my phone. It was like the phone wouldn't stop ringing, and each time it would just ring until it got to his voicemail. Finally after what felt like four or maybe even five times of trying to get ahold of him the phone finally picked up. "Amelia?" The sick sound of his new personality came through the other end.

He sounded so curious as to why I was calling him, as if me calling my brother was completely out of the blue. Here I was even acknowledging this insanity. "I need to know you're safe Edward. No one has found out… have you told anyone. I need to see you."

"Amelia; I can assure you Edward is fine, and no one you wouldn't want knowing knows about his and my switch-a-roo. Stop worrying so much, it ages you. Edward is safe." Was all he said before hanging up.

' _No one you wouldn't want knowing knows.'_ The words began to fester in my mind growing my fear for whatever it was Edward had going on in his head. What was this clown trying to pull, why was he trying to make me sick with worry over my brother. What did he want with me? Obviously he had to know that I wasn't going to play his sick game like he had played on everyone else around him had been. This was going to be a nightmare if I stayed any longer in Gotham...


End file.
